Goalkeeping pecking order in Russia detailed by Kafanov
In the current football season, Matyas Safonov has been a key figure for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), playing 17 matches and keeping the goal "clean" seven times, while conceding 13 goals. The Russian goalkeeper joined PSG from Krasnodar for €20 million in the summer of 2024.
However, his future with the national team remains a topic of interest. Southampton's manager has expressed an interest in Safonov, but his status as the undisputed number one goalkeeper for the Russian national team is undeniable. Vitaly Kafanov, the goalkeeper coach for the Russian national team, has outlined the goalkeeper hierarchy, but the specific backups to Safonov have yet to be identified in the recent sources.
Alexander Maksimenko, Georgy Lucheshkin, Alexander Latyshonok, Andrei Lunev, and Anton Mitryushkin are the closest contenders for the starting position in the Russian national team. Meanwhile, another five to six goalkeepers make up the reserve squad.
Interestingly, Fedor Smolov has joined Broke Boys for the Russian Cup competition, leaving the Russian national team without a clear backup option for Safonov. Further updated information from official Russian national football team announcements or recent squad lists would be needed to identify the current backup goalkeepers.
In other news, Zenit forward Kasierra considers the upcoming match against Spartak as crucial for the team. The Southampton manager has also revealed transfer plans for the team, but no specific details have been disclosed yet.
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Bookmakers across European-leagues and Premier-League have started to speculate about Matyas Safonov's future, given Southampton's reported interest in the PSG goalkeeper. According to the latest reports, Alexander Maksimenko, Georgy Lucheshkin, Alexander Latyshonok, Andrei Lunev, and Anton Mitryushkin are currently the closest contenders to fill the backup role for the Russian national team following Fedor Smolov's departure to Broke Boys.
